By Miriam Raftery

May 21, 2011 (La Mesa) – How do you outdo a sold-out crowd of 400 at a Taste of La Mesa event featuring foods and wines from 28 local vendors?

“Next year we’re expanding to host the Taste of the Century,” promised La Mesa Chamber of Commerce president Mary England. Held at the La Mesa Community Center, the savory event will expand across the hall --with room to double the size during La Mesa's centennial celebration in 2012.

This year’s Taste of La Mesa featured some new vendors as well as familiar favorites.

May 21, 2011 —Recently, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) personally viewed photographs of Osama Bin Laden after he was killed by U.S. Special Forces in Pakistan.  As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Hunter was provided the opportunity to view the photographs along with other selected House members at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia. 

“The series of photographs clearly show Osama Bin Laden from the time after the raid to his burial at sea,” said Congressman Hunter.  “Our nation’s Special Forces did an exceptional job and deserve great credit for their work.”  

May 21, 2011 (La Mesa)--The La Mesa Police Department, in a continuing effort to work in partnership with the community, is hosting a neighborhood forum on Monday, May 23, 2011, from 6:00-8:00 PM at La Mesa Dale Elementary School, 4370 Parks Avenue, La Mesa. This forum is part of a series of community forums to encourage public discussion and questions about issues specific to the individual neighborhoods within the City of La Mesa.

May 21, 2011 (Spring Valley) – Two felony warrant suspects were taken into  custody Thursday afternoon by deputies and investigators from the San Diego Sheriff’s Lemon Grove station. Josue Rodriguez, 32, was a documented gang member on state parole and was reportedly armed. Michele Salas, 33, who has been wanted since 2009, was also arrested.

After receiving information from California Department of Corrections parole agents about the suspects’ location at 829 Felicita Ave. in Spring Valley, a team of deputies, a Sheriff’s K-9 unit, and parole agents contained the area. The Sheriff’s Astera 1 helicopter assisted in aerial surveillance and announced that the suspects should surrender.

May 20, 2011(Washington D.C.) Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, announced that he will introduce legislation in the coming days directing the Secretary of the Navy to name the next available ship after Marine Corps Sergeant Rafael Peralta.

“Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, a Hispanic-American who grew up in Southeast San Diego, was nominated for the Medal of Honor for smothering a grenade with his body, saving the lives of the other Marines in the room with him,” Hunter said. The incident occurred after Peralta led a team of Marines into a house during combat in Fallujah, Iraq.

Lack of reading proficiency in local students raises concerns

May 20, 2011 (San Diego) – If we improve schools, we improve communities. If we improve communities, we improve schools.

These are key findings in United Way of San Diego County’s education report released May 14. Titled “Voices for the Common Good: San Diego Speaks Out on Education,” the report is a comprehensive compilation of everyday San Diegans’ opinions and aspirations for their communities, for education and the challenges they see in helping our children reach their full potential.

May 19, 2011 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a voluntary recall of one million Maclaren Strollers sold before November 2009 due to fintertip lacerations and amputations.

29 cases confirmed in U.S. including 13 in CA

Local horse shows cancelled, state quarantines imposed to stop spread

May 19, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Horses from across the West were exposed to a deadly new form of Equine Herpes Virus at a Utah horse show. There is no vaccine for Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), which is caused by Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). The disease, which results in neuorological symptoms, is highly contagious and often fatal. 

So far, the virus has not been reported in San Diego. But local horse experts are concerned—and horse owners are advised to take precautions.

May 20, 2011 (Mt. Helix) – The East County Youth Symphony will present a free concert at the Mt. Helix Park ampitheater on Sunday, May 22 at 4 p.m. An 85 piece orchestra will play a trumpet concerto followed by pops music.

May 20, 2011 (San Diego) -- Adults and kids alike can enjoy a wealth of free and fun activities this Saturday, May 21 during Explore Mission Trails Day at Mission Trails Regional Park.  Activiteis include guided nature walks, outdoor recreation demonstrations, rock climbing wall, crafts, face painting, a star-gazing party, free pony rides, as well as visits with live birds of prey, reptiles and other animals, and much more.

May 20, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views.

Top global and national news stories include:

US.
• 2012 GOP Presidential candidates: Who’s in, who’s out (CNN)
• Gas prices could plummet for summer driving (USA Today)
• Obama announces ‘new chapter’ in U.S.-Mideast diplomacy (CNN)

WORLD
• Osama bin Ladin: Al Qaeda releases posthumous message (BBC)
• Japan readies new tactics for Fukushima after setback (Reuters)
• War crimes prosecutor targets Gaddafi and allies (Reuters)
• North Korea, Japan trade missile technology (Reuters)
• Israeli-Palestinian violence erupts on 3 borders (Reuters)
• Argentinian Jewish group gets Google to nix hate ads (Jerusalem Post)
• Jordan police use force to stop demonstrators from reaching Israeli border (Al Jazeera)
• U.S. to impose sanctions on Syrian president (Al Jazeera)
• Army shelling kills 7 in Syrian protest town (Reuters)
• Saudi woman defies driving ban (AFP)
• Wind farm ordered dismantled (La VanGuardia)

May 19, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top news of interest to our region, published in other media.

Recent Roudup headlines include:

• State Superintendent reacts to funding gap (KPBS)

• Palomar, San Pasqual Parks axed by state (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Rally sends message to Sacramento: Stop cutting our schools’ budgets (Mt. Helix Patch)
• New City budget calls for restoring recreation, library budgets (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 1,200 at Super Smith Saturday to aid cancer-stricken Grossmont teacher (La Mesa Patch)
• Ramona residents oppose fire evacuation plan (10 News)
• Schwarzenegger reveals he had child with staffer (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Flying marijuana over the border low and slow (KPBS)
• Historic Borrego home to become research center (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego home ownership drops in past decade (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Study says public transportation connects, but not always to jobs (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Study links autism to mother’s health issues (San Diego Union-Tribune)

On May 19, 2011, at about 1:15 PM, a man knocked a woman down and took her deposit bag near the Target Store in Grossmont Center. The suspect was described as a black male, 20 years old, muscular build wearing a white “do” rag, a white tee shirt and jeans. He was driven from the scene in a white Nissan X-Terra by a heavyset black female with long hair. 

The victim was a 49 year old female who sustained several abrasions as a result of the robbery. She was taken to Grossmont Hospital for evaluation. The loss was the deposit bag and its contents.  

Investigation finds NRC cancelled safety regulations designed to prevent hydrogen explosions at U.S. nuclear reactors such as those that occurred in Fukushima, Japan

May 19, 2011—A scathing report critical of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission following the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in Japan has been issued by Congressman Edward Markey’s office following an investigation into NRC procedures.

The report concludes that “flawed assumptions and under-estimation of safety risks are currently an inherent part of the NRC regulatory program, due to a long history of decisions made by prior Commissions or by the NRC staff that have all too often acquiesced to industry requests for a weakening of safety standards.”

Among the disturbing findings:

May 18, 2011 (Alpine) -- The FAA, US Marine Corp and local aviators have all approved flyovers to mark the dedication of the Veterans Wall of Honor, planned for May 30, 2011, at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Alpine Community Center.

The ceremony is called "Mission Honored: Dream Achieved." It marks the dedication of the Wall of Honor, and unveil a tile with the name of Lt. John Flinn, our own Medal of Honor recipient whose name is the first to be placed on the Wall of Honor. Hundreds of other tiles will be mounted in honor of veterans who sacrificed to serve our country.